Chapter 7 - Oops!

In the mass of people, Ayame's silvery hair appeared. "Gure-san! What on earth are you doing?" Ayame asked obviously shocked at his friend's behavior. Thankfully all the guests were being steered away. He took one glance at the scene before him, Kyo strangling Shigure and Tohru looking between the two just as confused as everyone else. He glared daggers at Shigure while clicking his tongue. "To push yourself onto a young lady like that, nonetheless our guest and housekeeper!"

Kyo didn't let go on his steel grip on the older man but Shigure still looked indifferent to the whole scene. He glared at Shigure, his anger boiling over the top. "Why the hell are you grinning!" Kyo finally barked. The way Shigure just stood there smiling was beginning to piss him off.

Tohru got up off the couch trying to give Shigure the benefit of the doubt. "Ah, maybe it was an accident! Shigure-san would not..."

"Oh," Shigure turned to her with a heated glance. "But I would."

"Eh?"

Kyo shook Shigure rather violently. "Damn you, you sick Inu!"

Momiji, Hatori, and Haru escorted all the young ladies out of the hall, requesting that they close early. The girls all tried to see what the commotion was all about and why Kyo had got up in such a hurry, disappearing in the mob of other girls, pushing them out of his way. The other members of the host gathered around Kyo, Shigure, Tohru, and Ayame as the rest came later.

"But, Kyo-kun!" Shigure finally directed his voice to the younger man. Everyone's eyes widdened when Shigure threw his grin at Kyo, which startled him. "Seeing how you suddenly appeared half way across the room in record time to save Tohru-kun from such a rascal like me shows how much attention you were really paying your customers today, eh?"

All eyes then focused on Kyo, his face freezing in place. 'Ha. He was caught.' The dog thought with amusement. Now that Kyo was momentarily stunned, Shigure released himself from the younger man's grip and dusted off his jacket. Kyo simply stood frozen in place as he continued to glare at Shigure. The older man tapped Kyo on the nose. "Just as I thought! Kyooo is a stalker, Kyooo is a stalker!" He sang.

"AM NOT!"

Tohru couldn't help but flush a pretty shade of cherry pink. Kyo... Kyo had been staring at her of all people? And was that same color also staining Kyo's face?

Shigure laughed. "Then how was it that you saw what was happening here if you had not had your eye on our precious flower the entire time you walked into the room?" Shigure asked matter of factually. He walked over to Ayame patting his back. "I believe I won the bet, Aya."

The once concerned king chuckled lightly as he shook his head in disbelief. The king turned away while fishing out some money from his pocket. "Well, I never."

Hatori raised an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised that you were playing along?"

"Just a friendly bet, Ha-san! And besides, I was always good with acting," Ayame laughed while a few coins dropped into Shigure's hand.

"Acting like an idiot." His younger brother growled. Yuki's fist itched to punch his brother. Rather than defending Tohru, he was betting that Kyo wouldn't have his eye on her. Secretly, Yuki was happy Ayame lost. Served him right. "Some king you turned out to be."

"Oh, Yuki, have faith in your brother! My plan will fall together in the end, you will see."

"What plan! It's more than obvious that you don't make plans but rather do things on whim!"

"Exactly my plan! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"I'll skin you alive..."

"But look, dear brother!" Ayame pointed in the direction of Tohru and Kyo. "Look at the love struck Kyonkichi in action! And what a lovely blush Tohru has as well!"

Momiji stood next to Haru and sucked in a slow breath while putting his hands to his face. "Kyo has the hotts for Tohru!"

Haru pulled out a camera and snapped a picture.

"I-I was just...!" Kyo couldn't come up with a likely excuse for having his eye on the girl. Ever since he'd brought her into the house, the air changed. It just felt better like something was lifted from the house. The other guys did not bother him as much for some reason and he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a home cooked meal. (Although he'd tried to be sneaky about taking leftovers.) And her voice! He did not do it intentinally but everytime he heard one giggle, one word, anything from her mouth he just stopped glued to the floor. It reminded him of the first time he saw her. Did she remember him? Did she know that he was the one that brought her here? What was it about her that made him act out so... so... stupidly?

But with her presence in the house, it still made him nervous. He decided it was better if maybe he did not associate with her at all. The sooner she was well on her way, the better it would be. That was his logic anyway.

But now here he was standing before this angel that dropped from heaven. And he was tongue tied for the first time in years.

He snuck a glance at Tohru afraid to see if she was going to scream or something but she only fiddled with the hem of her skirt while blushing a deep red.

Yuki tapped Kyo on the shoulder. "Kyo... you're drooling."

"GAH! Ju-just leave me alone!" He pushed past all the other guys and left through the back door to his little house just outside.

Tohru realized he was about to leave when her head snapped up and she put a hand out to stop him. "Oh no, please don't go yet!" The door slammed and she could hear his fading foot steps jogging down the cement walkway. She put her hand down. "I... still wanted to thank you."

Momiji touched Tohru's arm lightly. "Tohru, I think Kyo is just a little startled. He will come back." The small boy winked. "Who wouldn't come back if they knew a cute girl like you was here!" The boy laughed as Hatori dragged him away.

"That's enough from you."

Shigure then folded his arms together while leaning on a wall. "Tohru-kun, I apologize. It was really just an act, a bet between Aya and I to see if Kyo-chan still has any manly hormones in his body. I am sorry if I have offended you in any way. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness." Hiro muttered even though he knew that Tohru would never say such a thing.

"Oh no! Please don't apologize, it's really okay!" She laughed lightly. "Surprised I guess is the word I should use to describe it..." she didn't mention the other feeling that rose within her when Shigure had pulled her over like that. She had not been in such an intimate position like that since him.

Shigure laughed. "You should win an award, Tohru-kun! You are playing your part perfectly!"

"My... part?"

"Tohruu!" The girl turned her head to see Momiji running away from an annoyed Hatori. "Ha'ri is scaring me!"

"Don't drag Tohru-san into this." The seahorse motioned for Momiji to get away from the housekeeper.

Tohru felt Momiji tug at her coat from behind looking much like a child trying to run away from an angry parent. "What happened?" She asked already forgetting Shigure's comment. Conversations in this house seemed to change every five minutes.

Hatori turned away while rubbing his temples. "Well, having closed early and apologizing to all those girls for an early close made a considerably large dent in today's count. That, and we're sending each girl a bouquet of roses as an apology." His eyes shifted to Tohru. "Don't worry. This was none of your fault so you do not have to worry about paying back for it."

Tohru let out a releaved breath.

"But you see, Momiji here is not chipping in his share for the flowers."

"I can't, I can't!" Momiji said stepping away from Tohru finally. "I'm saving my money right now, Ha'ri! Can't you put me on tab or something? Ya know, like at bars and stuff? I promise to pay you back, please, Ha'ri?" He pleaded. Hatori considered the late teen and mearly walked away, giving up. Sometimes that boy could be as stubborn as a mule. That and he didn't feel the need to hear Momiji's endless crocodile tears. Hatori already had enough problems on his plate as it was.

"I don't know what you're saving for but fine. I'll record this in our accounting."

"Thank you, Ha'ri!" Momiji smiled.

Tohru felt her feet turn in at the question rolling in her mind. "What are you saving for, Momiji-kun?"

The blond boy shook his head 'no'. "Nuh uh, Tohru! It's a secret." The aura around the boy suddenly grew solemn as she blinked. In an instant he grinned again. "Bye bye." He skipped away.

Tohru left that thought and turned her gaze to the back door where Kyo disappeared into his lonesome house. Why didn't he stay inside the main house she wondered. Now that she thought about it, the leftovers sometimes disappeared the next morning. He must have been sneaking them at night. Maybe he would rather have a proper meal rather than cold leftovers.

She put a hand to her head, blowing her brown bangs away from her eyes. What was that feeling within her just at the sight of Kyo and what about the entire rescue? Shigure said he was only joking but still Kyo had come to her rescue. He was protecting her even though he barely knew her. She guessed she could say the same for all the Sohmas. They were all being so kind to her. She closed her eyes, thinking of something that she could give Kyo in return for his noble actions.

High above the house, a light rumble sounded, noting that a storm was cooking up. She put a finger to her mouth. "I guess it's going to rain..."

A hand patted her lightly and she looked up into Ayame's confident-filled face. She wondered where on earth he got all of that confidence...

"Kyonkichi hates rain."

"Eh?"

Ayame turned to the window with Tohru. "He doesn't like rain. Normally before bed if it's raining, Gure-san forces him outside to check all the gates are locked." Ayame chuckled while flipping some hair over his shoudler. "I suppose it's Gure-san's way of torturing him."

"That's terrible!"

"Not so! Had it not been that fateful night that Kyonkichi was turning in he would not have met you." Ayame looked on with a serious pose. "As it is, Kyo has never fallen in love before."

Tohru's head turned instantly at that. Never... had he fallen love?

Ayame's stance and voice grew serious, matching the gray clouds blanketing the sky. "It might not be my place to say this but Kyo's parents died when he was very young. All he used to do was spar with Yuki and Haru-kun trying to beat away all his anger. Usually it ended up with him getting knocked out. As he got older he began staying with the family in this house for the summer while his master was away. But..." Ayame paused, "...there were some... changes with the hosts. Kyo did not feel like he belonged here anymore and decided to move into the guest house just outside."

"Changes." Tohru repeated.

How sad Kyo must have felt. She knew when her own parents passed away it was hard dispite how she'd continue to smile. She wondered how Kyo must have felt. So alone like he had no where to turn. And when he finally found himself with the other hosts, there was something that made him feel unwelcomed. Tohru suddenly clentched her fists and raised her head to Ayame. "How can I help him, Ayame-san? I want to help Kyo-kun very much! Anything, please just tell me what to do!"

Ayame's face softened. Inside he was glad that Kyo had pulled this girl into their home. Truthfully, he at first wanted to throw her out, but seeing how this must have been this first female Kyo had ever had enough consideration to bring inside he decided she could at lest stay the night to recover. But it seemed that the girl was growing on him. It must have been fate... maybe this Tohru Honda would be the other half to Kyo. He could almost feel her engagement band burning in his pocket. He sorely wished that she would stay with them as long as she could.

But for now...

"Ayame-san?" Tohru asked again. "Please, just tell me what to do! I want to help any way that I can."

Ayame raised a finger under Tohru's chin, tilting it up. "How about a delicious early dinner, Tohru?"

"Y-yes!"

He'd let time tell.

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